Unforgettable Friends - Rule Number Eighteen
by Time4me2fly
Summary: Taking Place after the events of "Unforgettable Friends-Rule Number Nine"... Can Tony ever forgive someone who *couldn't* ask permission?
1. Black Hole of Grief

_Hello Friends! Please Read "Unforgettable Friends - Rule Number Nine" to get the back story on this. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Tony wallowed in the black hole of grief. The only thing keeping him from breaking down was his daughter…his beautiful daughter… in the stroller before him, watching the proceedings with solemn confusion. Tali didn't understand what 'funeral' meant, didn't know why everyone was so quiet and sad, and she still couldn't wrap her mind around why there were pictures of her Ima all over but Ima was nowhere to be found. Tony knew that if he lost it, Tali's last link with stability would be gone, and who knew what that would do to her.

The service began, first in Hebrew and then in English for the benefit of all those attending. Ziva's casket had been buried days before in a quiet ceremony for family and close friends only. The actual funeral had been delayed until travel arrangements could be made for the myriad of international visitors who wished to pay their respects. It was obvious that Ziva David had been beloved by many. Tony was relieved to realize that he wasn't so far gone that he couldn't recognize that.

The ceremony ended, and Tony found himself the unanticipated and unwanted center of attention. He was grateful his father was there, because no one could work a crowd better than DiNozzo Senior. He missed his team… his _former_ team; Gibbs, McGee, Bishop, Abby, Ducky and Palmer had to stay behind in DC to clean up from their last case. After Trent Court had been taken down, they'd swung right into 'damage control' mode to plug the leaks his espionage had opened. Director Vance had slipped away to attend the funeral at least, and had joined the receiving line of people muttering the same condolences and platitudes as everyone else.

Tali squirmed in her stroller every time one of the set of knees that walked past stooped to push its face into hers. As one well-meaning guest tried to tickle her chin, Tali let out a wail that prompted Tony to unbuckle her seat belt and pick her up, balancing the weight of the three-year-old on his hip. "Abba, _home_!" she complained, thunking her forehead against his collarbone.

"I know, sweetie… soon, okay?" he whispered in her ear.

Tali shifted in his arms so she could see the people who were still shuffling past them, and it was her mother's warning eyes that stared out of her solemn face when someone had the crazy idea of reaching out to touch her. She took in the crowd, swiveling her head around as far as she could twist it. Her gaze landed on an approaching figure, and she lit up. "Mac!" Tali bellowed, and she launched herself straight out of her father's arms.

Tony's heart nearly stopped as Tali slipped out of his grasp and seemed to fly away from him. Panic shot his adrenaline into overdrive and sent him scrambling to get a hold on her.

"Tali!" a warm voice called in return, and the person attached to the voice caught the flying toddler and cuddled her to his chest. "Tali, my sweetie-pie! Oh, you got bigger!"

"Mac! Mac! Mac!" Tali called again with a giggle of delight. "Mac got tape? Where tape?" With no shame whatsoever, she started rifling through the pockets of the man's suit jacket. " _Where tape_?" she demanded once again, giving him an adorably perturbed scowl.

Tony sucked in a deep breath as he realized who it was that his daughter had jumped into the arms of. " _MacGyver…_ What are you doing here?"

Mac guided Tali's chubby fingers to the inside breast pocket of his jacket, and her enthusiasm threatened to rip the pocket right out as she all but dove into it. "Just for you, my sweetie-pie!" he said, kissing her forehead as she squealed in delight. Clutched in her little fist was a necklace, each link constructed from a different color of duct tape. As Tali gleefully examined the unique piece of jewelry, MacGyver's gaze rose. "Hey, Tony. I'm so sorry…"

Tony's fists clenched, and if the man before him had not been holding his daughter, DiNozzo probably would have punched him right on the jaw. "You two have met," he stated, his voice low, dark, and cold.

"Abba! Abba, Mac got tape!" Tali giggled, spinning in MacGyver's arms to show off the colorful chain. She swiveled back to wrap her arms around Mac's neck. "Tank you!" she said as she snuggled closer against him.

"You're welcome, Tali!" Mac returned, his lips pressed against the top of her head. "Want to go back to Abba now?"

She shook her head. "Mac!" she giggled, grabbing the knot of his tie and tugging on it.

Mac coughed a little as his throat got squeezed. "Easy, honey! Here, why don't you go back to Abba. I'll be around for a while yet. We'll make another flower together, okay?"

Senior stepped forward instead to accept the little girl. "C'mon, Tali! Let's go check out the buffet. I'll bet you're hungry!" He gave his son a concerned glance as he recognized that Tony's control was starting to slip and the blind fury that Tali's presence was keeping contained was in danger of finally erupting.

Tony grabbed Mac's arm and perp-walked him out of the room. Once they were around a corner and away from prying eyes, he slammed Mac up against the wall and pushed his face up close. "You knew all this time! You knew when you first met us! All those questions I asked you about Ziva, all the mystery and suspense, all those weird comments you made when you were in the hospital… And you wouldn't tell me about Tali!"

"Couldn't!" Mac corrected, the faint shadow of anger in his eyes under tight rein as Tony pushed harder against his chest. "I couldn't say anything. I promised her. She made it very clear that she would tell you herself, when she had the right time and circumstances for it."

"Well, that time never came, did it?" Tony growled, his eyes no less deadly for the tears that brimmed in them.


	2. Keeping Promises

_Tony grabbed Mac's arm and perp-walked him out of the room. Once they were around a corner and away from prying eyes, he slammed Mac up against the wall and pushed his face up close. "You knew all this time! You knew when you first met us! All those questions I asked you about Ziva, all the mystery and suspense, all those weird comments you made when you were in the hospital… And you wouldn't tell me about Tali!"_

 _"Couldn't!" Mac corrected, the faint shadow of anger in his eyes under tight rein as Tony pushed harder against his chest. "I couldn't say anything. I promised her. She made it very clear that she would tell you herself, when she had the right time and circumstances for it."_

 _"Well, that time never came, did it?" Tony growled, his eyes no less deadly for the tears that brimmed in them._

* * *

Mac flinched as Tony's fists curled tighter, pinching skin with the fabric of his lapels. "Think this through, Tony. I know you're angry. You have a right to be..."

"Angry? Angry!? Oh, you _bet_ I'm angry!" Tony grated, the genuineness of his statement making Mac hope he wasn't armed.

A shadow fell over them. "No, Sam! Stay back! I've got this!" Mac insisted, wincing as his son materialized and dropped a heavy hand on Tony's shoulder.

Sam was unrepentant as he hauled Tony backwards. "I won't hit him, how's that?" he compromised in a conversational tone that didn't match the danger in his expression.

Mac tugged his suit back into arrangement, but the movements were unconscious as his compassionate gaze forced the struggling DiNozzo, caught firmly in his son's grip, to look at him. "Tony, you can believe this or not, but I have a pretty good idea of what you're going through. I am so very, very sorry."

"You knew all this time! How could you not tell me?" Tony demanded, still struggling to get his hands around Mac's throat. When Mac merely heaved a sad sigh and shook his head, the fight left Tony and crushing sorrow rushed in to take its place.

Mac gestured for Sam to lead Tony towards the door, and they left the dark stuffiness of the building for the warm sunshine outside. Finding a bench under a tree, Mac helped Tony stagger to it, and all three sat down. Mac blew out a deep breath as he fished a tissue from his pocket, giving it a dubious glance as he realized it had been mangled when Tali had searched him for her present. Deciding it was in decent enough shape for her father to use, Mac pressed it into Tony's hands. "Tony, I know there's nothing I can say to make this better, but maybe knowing you're not alone in your hurt will help a little."

"Why didn't she tell me?" DiNozzo demanded, the helpless quiver in his whisper breaking Mac's heart.

"I knew this girl in college... Kate Malloy. She was my best friend, she was beautiful, and we loved each other. I would have done almost anything for her. She was so fiercely independent that I thought we were the perfect match; only someone like her could have kept up with me. I wanted to marry her...even had the ring paid for!"

"I didn't know about the ring!" Sam interrupted with a surprised whisper.

Mac gave his son a wry smile. "I meant to give it to you when you proposed to Lisa, but somehow I just couldn't. It's in the safe in the basement of the Phoenix Foundation, with your name on it." He turned his attention back to Tony, who was beginning to collect himself. "Kate wasn't ready to settle down any more than I was. When she found out she was pregnant, she decided to leave. I got a 'Dear Mac' letter, and never saw her again. I never knew she was pregnant either. Eighteen years later, Sam found me. When I think of all the time I could have had my son in my life, I still feel angry at Kate for keeping him from me."

Sam heaved a deep sigh. "She said she was going to tell you, when we'd both grown up enough. She was killed before she felt that'd happened."

"I'm so sorry that you ended up in the same situation, Tony," Mac continued, putting a hand on DiNozzo's shoulder. "The only thing I can say is, I'm glad you got to meet Tali before she got any older. Tali won't have to fend for herself like Sam had to. You won't carry the guilt of eighteen missing years around with you. Be grateful for that, at least!"

Anger again smoldered in Tony's eyes. "You knew! You knew all about this! How could you work so closely with us and not tell me?"

Mac turned away and scrubbed his hand through his hair. "I wanted to, Tony! I didn't agree with her decision, but it wasn't my place to tell you anything. Think about it for an honest second, all right? 'Hi, Tony, did you know that the woman you love had your baby and didn't want to tell you about it?' You'd have shot me where I stood!"

Tony felt a harsh laugh escape. "Yeah, probably!"

"I thought I'd spilled the beans when you cornered me in the hospital that night... And you did _not_ earn any favors with me for that, by the way!" Mac reminded him grimly. "Gibbs talked me down from being really mad at you for that stunt!"

DiNozzo was unrepentant. "I had to know! You'd known too much about us, and when I read that synopsis, it only made sense that you'd worked with her."

Mac met Sam's gaze over Tony's lowered head, and they had a silent conversation. Sam finally nodded, and Mac pulled a USB drive from one of his pockets. "This is what I can share with you from that Op... I scrubbed it of any classified information, but a lot of what's in here didn't have much to do with our mission. I have the originals back at the Foundation, if you should want them someday." He paused, and a reminiscent, sad smile touched his lips. "There's even security footage from my office of Ziva and Tali playing. I didn't realize that had been recorded until I was going through everything for you." As Tony's nerveless fingers reached for the drive, Mac hesitated for just a moment. "Wait until Tali is older to let her see it," he advised. "She may not understand right away."

"Junior?" a voice called from the back door of the funeral home. "Junior, where did you go?"

Tony curled his fingers around the drive MacGyver had just given him. "Thanks, Mac." Raising his head and looking back at the building, Tony raised his voice. "Over here, Dad; we're just about to come back inside."

Senior hesitated in the doorway for only a moment, then stepped out into the sunshine and walked over. He had his best 'networking face' on, complete with a winning smile and a gleam in his eye. "I don't think I've met your friends, Junior."

Tony's chin crashed to his chest. "Oh, brother. Mac, I apologize in advance…" He turned to his father and his expression changed to worry. "Hey! Where's Tali?"

"She wanted to stay with that sweet lady who directs that agency in Israel…"

"Director Orli Elbaz?" Tony demanded in surprise.

"Tali was almost as excited to see her as she was to see your friend here… that I still haven't been introduced to," Senior hinted.

MacGyver and Sam both stood. "Mr. DiNozzo, it's a pleasure; my name is MacGyver; I'm the Director of Field Ops for the Phoenix Foundation. This is Sam Malloy, my Assistant Director. We've had the pleasure of working with Tony and NCIS on a few cases."

Senior shook Mac's hand. "The Phoenix Foundation; I'm not familiar with that organization. What Agency are you affiliated with?"

"We're a 'Think Tank', actually; not associated with any governmental agency at all."

"That sounds fascinating!" Senior exclaimed. "What kind of projects?"

Sam accurately read the request in MacGyver's glance, and he extended a hand to the older DiNozzo. "Let's move to the bench here; I'd love to tell you all about the Phoenix Foundation! We're involved in…"

Mac took advantage of the distraction and quickly led Tony back toward the door. "I'm glad you have your father with you, Tony. He seems like he can be a handful, but you're lucky to have him."

As Tony's nod showed both his fondness for his old man and his agreement with Mac's assessment, he couldn't keep his eyes off of the USB drive in his hand.

"What's next for you, Tony?" MacGyver asked as they reentered the building. "I know you left NCIS. Are you going to stay in DC?"

Tony shrugged. "I'm taking Tali to Paris for a while. Ziva loved Paris. After that… who knows? I have some money saved up."

"The Phoenix Foundation is always looking for good people…"

"With your track record for getting banged up, it sounds more dangerous than being an Agent in the line of fire!" DiNozzo chided.

Mac's grin was rueful. "We have other positions available that aren't as 'hands-on' as mine," he retorted. "I know your life is in flux right now, but if you should be interested later on, you're always welcome to look us up."

"I appreciate that, Mac," Tony said gratefully. "I honestly don't know what the future holds, but I'm grateful to have your offer."

* * *

 _To be honest, it was going to end here... It was closure. But then I realized that wasn't fair; MacGyver is the Master of 'No-Win Scenarios', and somehow it just seemed incomplete. So... I wrote three more chapters. Let me know what you think!_


	3. More Promises

_Note: We have DS2010 and Sue D to thank for the continuation of this tale; the first two chapters were written as an epilogue for "Unforgettable Friends-Rule Number Nine" because I needed closure to that story line as well... but you're right, Sue... Tiva Forever!_

* * *

Mac jerked awake at his cell phone's sudden wail. Groping through the darkness to find the light switch, he managed to catch the phone before the vibrations danced it off the end of his night stand. Stabbing at the screen, he caught the call right before it went to voicemail.

"Director MacGyver, this is the main switchboard at the Phoenix Foundation. A call is ringing on your Direct Line."

Mac felt his adrenaline surge. The Direct Line was the 'Red Phone' in his office, the secured line that only a handful of people had the number too... and if it rang, it usually meant there was something very, _very_ wrong. "Securing now," Mac said, plugging the phone into the hardline and logging in. His heart was poundings so hard that it made entering the code difficult.

"Transferring," the switchboard operator said, and the line clicked and buzzed briefly.

"Director MacGyver," Mac answered, trying to keep his voice steady. He knew Sam was out in the Field, and there were a number of other Ops in progress; his first prayer was for his son's safety. He braced himself for the bad news he knew had to be coming when there was the sound of a quiet sob and a long silence.

"Mac, I'm so sorry... I never would have called, but I'm in trouble..."

Mac nearly fell out of his bed as he recognized the exotic accent beneath the frightened tone. "You _bet_ you're in trouble!" he snapped in instant, out-of-character fury. " _Ziva, your funeral was last week_!"

Her fear was swallowed by her instant anger. "I had to protect Tali! I knew they were after me. I had to keep my baby safe!"

"Trent Court is dead; you can come in from the cold now!"

"He wasn't the only one after me. Mac, please! I need to get out of here! I cannot use my passport, and my usual contacts for new papers will sell me to the highest bidder."

The seriousness of her plea was not lost on him, but he still had to get a few things out of the way. "Zee, I was at your _funeral_! I thought you died! Tali misses her Ima, and Tony..."

Her breath caught. "You cannot tell him! Mac, you cannot tell Tony that I..."

"Lied to him again?" Mac interrupted harshly.

She was crying now, frantic gasps obscuring her words. "I did it to protect him! I did it to protect Tali! She will be safe with him; he can protect her better than I can!"

Mac knew he had to change the subject before he got more angry. "Where are you? What will you need?" He scribbled down the list as she was able to get the words out.

"Mac, you're the only one I can count on!" she hiccuped. "Please hurry! And please don't..."

He interrupted her. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Just hang tight!" He hung up, tripped over his sheets as he dumped himself out of his mattress, and raced for his closet. As he dressed, he called Sam's message line to tell him he was taking a trip but would give him more details later. After calling the switchboard back and getting flight transportation arranged, he grabbed his keys and hustled out to his Jeep.


	4. Job Interview

The plane landed and taxied to the hangar. A dark vehicle was parked in front of the hangar doors, a lone figure beside it hunched in an overcoat against the chill of the morning air. The figure waited until the plane's engines spooled down and the door cracked open. The stairs descended, and as Mac stepped out of the brightly lit interior, the figure stepped closer. "It's been a while, Mac," the figure offered by way of greeting.

Mac couldn't help a smile at the sarcasm in the other's tone. "Would you believe me if I said I missed you?"

Thinking about that for only a second, Tony shook his head. "No, not really."

"Where's Tali?" Mac asked, looking around.

"Sleeping. She's in the car. Mac, what is going on?" Tony demanded. "A phone call out for the blue asking for us to meet you at an airport, with no other explanation?"

"Consider this your job interview." Mac took the last of the stairs down, and when he reached the tarmac, he strode quickly towards the car. Tony trailed behind him in consternation, protesting quickly as Mac opened the door and leaned in to greet the sleepy eyed little princess that blinked up at him. "Hey, Tali, my sweetie-pie! Do you want to take a ride with Uncle Mac?"

Tali brightened at the sight of him. "Mac!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him. He kissed the top of her head as he unbuckled her from the car seat.

"MacGyver, what are you doing?" Tony demanded, making a move like he wanted to stop the other man.

Balancing Tali against him, Mac dug in his pocket to find a crumpled wad of papers barely held together with a paperclip. Thrusting the mess into Tony's hands, he fished a pen out of another pocket and passed that over as well. "You brought your passport and travel papers like I told you?" Mac confirmed. At Tony's confused nod, he grinned with approval. "Good. Let's go. It's a short hop to where we're going, so you need to sign everything before we land. No more questions," he interrupted as Tony again began to protest. "Come on, baby," he crooned to Tali as she snuggled against him.

The plane's engines spooled up again as Mac herded his charges aboard. Mac secured the door and gave the pilots the signal, and the graceful craft slid back towards the runway.

Tony was losing what little patience he had left. "What do you mean by 'Job Interview'? And… _Where. Are. We. Going?!_ " he demanded as their aircraft lifted off the runway and leveled out.

Mac chuckled as Tali squealed as the plane scudded through a bank of clouds. "You're familiar with a standard 'Confidentiality Agreement', right?" He waited until Tony nodded. "Yeah, well, there's nothing 'Standard' about this one. I can't even tell you what you're interviewing for until you sign. And... we're going to land in a few minutes so..." He gestured for Tony to get busy with the pen and paper, but realized that DiNozzo needed a bit more. He turned the warmth of his smile on the toddler in his arms. "Tali, you want Abba to work with Uncle Mac, right?"

"Using my daughter? Really? You'd stoop that low?" Tony laughed as Tali's laughter filled the air.

Staring at the other man with disbelief, Mac shook his head. "I don't think I'm 'stooping' at all if I'm trying to get Anthony DiNozzo Jr. and the beautiful Tali to join The Phoenix Foundation!" he protested.

A flourish of the pen inked DiNozzo's fate. "Okay, I signed this. You got me. Now... What's going on?"

"I've got an Op in progress that I can't complete on my own. I need you for this one." He stopped there, and held up a hand when Tony's eyes narrowed. "I keep my promises, DiNozzo. You, of all people, have to know that."

Tony's gaze grew speculative. "I don't follow..."

"So, I'm going to keep my promise, and not tell you," Mac stated with utmost firmness. After a moment to let that sink in, a sly grin quirked the corner of his lips. "However, there was nothing in my promise that excluded your physical presence..."

The plane started its descent, and Mac turned away from Tony to show the toddler in his arms how the flaps in the wings moved. Tali's little face was pressed to the window as she watched the ground come up to meet the plane, and when the wheels kissed the pavement, she clapped in delight.


	5. Forgiveness

There was a black car parked in front of the hangar as the plane taxied up. The figure standing next to it was hunched into an overcoat as the chill morning wind stirred. Waiting until the aircraft stopped and the door cracked open to step forward, the figure looked up as a back-lit shape emerged from the door of the plane. "Thank you for coming," the figure at the foot of the stairs began, looking around quickly to be sure they were unobserved.

There was a long moment of silence, and finally the words, "I didn't know I was," were choked out.

Ziva's head jerked up at the unexpected voice. Joy, followed by fear, loss, hope, and anger flitted across her beautiful face, "Tony!" she breathed, unable to believe she was really seeing him. "What...?" As Tony was still silent, she looked around quickly. "Where is Tali?"

Tony threw a gesture towards the back of the plane. "Mac is... uh... keeping her for the..." He took three clumsy steps down, but his foot slipped on the last stair and he staggered into her, tangling his fingers into her hair as he stared into her eyes. "You're... Ziva, you're..."

Unable to take the equal mixture of joyful disbelief and devastated betrayal in his expression, she tried to turn away. "Tony, I'm so sorry..."

He pulled her tightly against him, his strong arms wrapping around her in a promise that he'd never let her go again. "Why didn't you tell me? About Tali, about _everything_?"

"Really hate to break things up," a voice called from inside the plane, "but we've got to get you out of here, Zee... and I can't keep this little one occupied much longer!"

Ziva wrenched free of Tony's grasp and flew up the stairs. Tali's jubilant cry of "Ima!" brought tears to everyone's eyes as she leapt from Mac's arms and into her mother's. Tony joined them on the floor, wrapping them both tightly in a desperate embrace.

Mac called up to the front of the plane to tell the pilots to get moving again, surprised that he could get his voice to work with the emotion closing his throat. "Time to buckle, guys," he insisted, reaching into the huddle to extract the toddler. Tali kicked briefly against him as he secured her into her seat, but she settled down when he planted a long kiss on the top of her head.

When Mac turned around, he found himself on the receiving end of a glare from Ziva that threatened to set him ablaze. "Oh, come _on_ , now!" he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wasn't surprised by the anger, but that didn't mean he felt like putting up with it.

"I begged you not to tell Tony!" Ziva accused. "You _promised_ me! I _trusted_ you!"

The look Tony fired at her took some of the heat off of MacGyver. "Still keeping secrets from me, Ziva?" The hurt in his eyes was enough to silence her for a moment. Tony then turned those flinty eyes on MacGyver. "And you _still_ wouldn't tell me…"

Mac broke in before either of them exploded, gesturing to the toddler who was watching them with wide eyes and a quivering lower lip. "Now is NOT the time for this!" He glared at them until they both had pulled in a deep breath. "I kept your secret the first time, Zee, and you promised that you'd sort things out between you and Tony. Then you went and died on us..." He ignored her guilty flinch and Tony's wince. "Since Tony now had Tali, _that_ secret wasn't a secret anymore."

"But she wasn't dead!" DiNozzo growled. "You lied to me again! All the platitudes at the funeral..."

This was too unreal. "I was running the same operating system you were, Tony; I was blown away when I heard her voice this morning."

"I begged you not to tell Tony!" Ziva growled. "Your promise was implied!"

Mac held up a finger. "I made no such promise... but I kept it anyway. Tony had no idea what was going on when I hired him this morning and transferred him from Paris. All I told him was that he needed to be the first one off the plane when we landed here."

"I can't say I like your way of keeping promises," Tony had to add, "but I can't argue with the results on this one!" He reached out and caught Mac's hand in a firm shake. "Thank you..."

Mac gave him a deep nod and a sad smile. "You're welcome, Tony."

Tony turned to Ziva. "So... what do we do now?"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Mac protested, waving the crumpled sheaf Tony had signed earlier. "You work for me, now! I hate to break it to you, but you've got a contract here!" It was all he could do to maintain his firm expression and not break out into laughter at the worried look Tony and Ziva each turned on him.

"Okay... Boss...? What do we do now?"

Mac made a show of flipping through the pages. "You're in my 'Asset Protection' division, it seems. Hmmm, now, that's convenient! It seems the Phoenix Foundation has an asset that needs protecting." He looked over the top edge of the paper to fix Ziva with a pointed stare.

Her eyes narrowed. "I am not sure I like being referred to as an 'asset'," she informed him.

"I wasn't talking about you," he retorted. "Tali's too young to hire officially, but the Phoenix needs a new Morale Officer. Anything she requires to boost the morale of my team is considered an asset, which Tony is now in charge of."

Tali giggled in delight as Mac dug a purple rose, made entirely out of duct tape, from his pocket and handed it to her. "Tape! Mac got tape!" she crowed.

Mac grinned at the toddler, then turned back to the papers in his hands. "I'm hoping I can talk Tony into picking up a few more hours with us, as a Training Officer. He'll be working with our newest recruit, provided I can get her to sign a contract," Mac continued, handing over another pile of paper to the startled Ziva. "Don't sign it yet; we've got a few more details to iron out first. The paperwork on that is gonna be a bear." He realized they were both confused. "The IRS frowns upon drafting W2s for dead people, and frankly, you're too hot a commodity to start the process to 'Un-dead' you. I think we need to figure out who you are before you officially start working for us."

"Mac, I can't thank you enough..." Tony mumbled, shaking his head.

MacGyver started laughing. "Don't thank me yet, DiNozzo! After all, you probably didn't read the fine print. See, you've also agreed to help me out on any extraneous assignments I might need you for... and the Phoenix Foundation has a brand new marriage counselor that needs breaking in…"

 _MacGyver's voiceover: In hindsight, I probably should have waited to spring that on them until after we'd landed. I really missed having an escape route handy, and that was a looooooong flight home..._


	6. Epilogue

_Author's Note: Okay, I thought I was done with this short... I really, really did. Then, I realized that I wasn't. This little plot bunny is a cruel, cruel beast that won't leave me alone. I wrote this over lunch today. Now, this story is well and truly done. However, the next installment of "Unforgettable Friends" is progressing nicely. I have a few more plot points to work out before I start posting that, so stay tuned!_

 _Thank you so much to everyone who has read, and_ especially _to those who have reviewed! I'm so glad you're enjoying this as much as I am!_

* * *

Epilogue: - Two Months Later - NCIS Squad Room -

Gibbs looked up as Kevin, the intern from the Mail Room, scooted past his desk and dropped a letter into the In Box. Knowing that acknowledging him would only terrify the young man further, Gibbs grunted out a "thanks" anyway, grinning to himself as the kid squeaked in terror and fled.

"What was it Tony used to say? 'He acts like one of us is going to chew his arm off'?" McGee chucked, from his desk that used to be DiNozzo's.

Gibbs allowed a hint of a smile to pull at his mouth as he looked up at his newly promoted Senior Field Agent. Wisps of memories hovered between them, and McGee was soon smiling as well. Gibbs picked the letter up and tugged his knife from his pocket to slit the seal.

 _MacGyver's voiceover: Hi, there, Gibbs and Team! I've been thinking about you guys a lot lately. First, I would like to express my condolences on your recent losses; it's never easy losing a friends, be it to death or to new adventures. Please share my warm thoughts with Bishop and McGee, and give Abby an extra special hug from me...this is probably hitting her the hardest._

 _I recently had the opportunity to pull an old friend into the Phoenix Foundation Family; Tali DiNozzo-David has graciously accepted the unofficial position of Morale Officer, and she is already making things more joyous here. Of course, because she is below the legal hiring age, she comes to work with her Dad, who has (more or less) graciously accepted positions in our Asset Protection and Training departments. I admit, I strong-armed Tony into joining us, but I think he's getting used to the idea. He's already set up home here, just outside of LA, and while I'm not usually one to spread gossip, I will say that it looks like he's 'settling in' in more ways than one... Another agent in the Undercover Ops Training division has caught his eye, and Liza Solomon already looks like a member of the family. Rumors are that Tali is already referring to her as 'Ima', and I've never seen DiNozzo look happier, so I have a feeling wedding bells are in the near future. I've included a picture of the family, but please forgive the necessary editing; Liza is still maintaining her cover on a few vital assignments, so I'm not able to share her image._

 _Stay well and healthy, everyone! I hope to see you again soon!_

 _Mac_

Gibbs tugged the photograph out of the envelope and flipped it right side up. The image had indeed been cropped; it looked as though Tony, sitting in a chair with Tali on his lap, was supposed to have been in the center of the picture, but instead his left shoulder was cut off. There was an arm resting comfortably around his right shoulder; slender, well toned and tanned, the fingers reaching down to tickle Tali's hair.

Examining the image more closely, it was Tali's beaming face that next captured his eyes. Gibbs felt his heart warm to see her looking so happy and secure. It seemed as though DiNozzo had done a fantastic job of helping the little girl put the pieces of her life back together. Tony was holding his daughter, his cheek resting on the top of her head as he gazed just slightly off camera, as if he was looking at the person who had draped her arm around his shoulder. His demeanor showed a man who was utterly content, as though the pain and sadness of he last few months had been magically erased... and there was no hint of the 'I miss Ziva' cast that had haunted his eyes since she'd left the team...

Gibbs slipped his glasses on for a closer look. It wasn't that he didn't want the two of them to seem that happy, but it was extremely soon for even Tony to move on and find a new girl. Tali was at the age where she wouldn't be as accepting of someone vying for her Daddy's attention, certainly not referring to her in such familial names like 'Ima'. There was a possessiveness in the embrace around Tony's shoulder that was unexpected in such a recent relationship. Gibbs felt his heart start to speed up, and his mouth went dry. _What if... but no, that was crazy!_

"Everything okay, Boss?" McGee asked in growing concern.

Gibbs tried to clear his threat, but it seemed to stick. "Uh, yeah, McGee..." he was finally able to mutter. "Got a letter from MacGyver. Sends his best."

McGee grinned. "That's nice of him!" His expression faltered as Gibbs' poker face failed him. "Bad news?"

"And his condolences."

McGee offered a sad smile. "Why am I not surprised that he heard about Tony?"

"Knows we lost another one, too. He's kept in touch, and must have heard." Gibbs pulled in a deep breath. _Exactly how much does he know about our other one; about Ziva? It took a lot for him to crack the last time he was here. What is he trying to say?_

Knowing his Boss well enough to realize that wasn't the whole story, McGee pushed himself to his feet and stepped closer to Gibbs' desk. "Boss?" he hedged, and accepted the photograph that was offered to him. "Where did you get this?"

Gibbs held up the letter, but McGee was too busy examining the picture to notice. "Tali got herself a new job, and dragged DiNozzo along for the ride," the Boss summarized with a wry chuckle.

"Awww, Tali looks so happy! Tony does too, actually. That's great; I'm glad they're working with MacGyver. Mac may not be able to keep himself out of trouble, but he takes really good care of his people." McGee finally noticed the letter and accepted it, looking it over quickly. "And Tony's got a girlfriend already? Liza, of all things!" At Gibbs' questioning look, McGee chuckled ruefully. "I used the names Tommy and Lisa in my novel, Deep Six, if you remember. I thought about spelling 'Lisa' with a 'Z', but figured that would be too obvious..."

Gibbs' pulse quickened again. Liza... Liza Solomon. Biblically speaking, Solomon was the son of King David. _No, it couldn't be... But then, this is MacGyver we're talking about..._

"You sure you're okay, Boss?" McGee tried again, noticing the disbelief in the older agent's eyes. "What am I missing?"

"Nothing," Gibbs lied. "I just..."

McGee waited a moment, and when it was obvious Gibbs wasn't going to continue, he tried to guess. "You miss him?" When Gibbs' only response was the rippling of his jaw, McGee nodded. "I do too. But I'm glad he's happy. It was nice of Mac to share that news with us."

"Yeah," Gibbs allowed. _But what else is he Not sharing? Knowing Mac as I do, it could be anything. I guess time will tell…_

* * *

 _Again, thank you to everyone who has enjoyed this!_


End file.
